A Whirlwind Weekend!

How cool is this? I was able to meet Joyce Epstein Ph.D. at North Community High School last Thursday night. Dr. Epstein is a rock star in the field of Parent Education. "Epstein's Framework of Six Types of Involvement" changed the way schools and teachers talked about the home and school connection. She presented a great workshop on the history of her work at Johns Hopkins University and got me excited about the National Network of Partnership Schools. I sat in the audience next to Todd Otis from Ready for K. All in all, a fantastic day to be me.

The week ended with a fun fund-raiser. I want to thank Patrick at the YMCA for all of his help with making "Pump and Party" a great success.  You know who your friends really are when you ask them to pay to lift weights to help send you to Washington, DC. I had so much fun working out with my pals! We continued the party at a local restaurant where we ate delicious hamburger sliders...yum!  I am hoping that you all can comfortably sit down today, nothin like a wicked set of squats to remind you where your muscles are!

I was asked to read at the annual "Flippin for Books" event on Saturday.  I love to read to kids! I ran into lots of friends and alumni of ECFE.  Savannah and Laney were as happy to see me as I was to see them. Savannah is an ECFE alum and has just been elected to her student council as the Kindergarten representative!  Congrats Savannah!

And the cherry on top of a great weekend was being asked to keynote the end of the fall conference for Learning Communities at UW-LaCrosse. I wasn't expecting to do anything except rake leaves on Sunday when Sarah Dixen, an ECFE alum and a coordinator for UW-L asked if I could fill in for the original keynoter who was unable to be there. It was a little nerve wracking until I walked into the Ballroom to  hoots from some of my fellow teachers from Winona. I always appreciate the opportunity to talk with teachers about the changing landscape of childhood. From one UW-L grad to the rest of the attendees; Good Luck Eagles as you pursue your master's degrees. When I got home, all of the leaves had been raked....I was more than OK with that!